Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-10
MOOSE HUNTING.
ONE MAN DOES THE WORK WHILE
THE OTHER SEES THE FUN.


are sought, but the roots. These extend
in a perfect network through the mud in
| which they grow, attaining thickness
exceeding mans arm and ali indefinite
length. There is no disputing about
| tastes, and consequently we win not
| criticise the moose for being so fond of
this vegetable. But to the human palate
it is dry, insipid and puckery. To obtain
this he will wade out into the water and
souse his head beneath the surface until
even his ears are submerged. Then hav-
| ing wrenched chunk of greater or less
length from its bed, he withdraWS his
head, and, dripping water from each Of
| the numerous angles which characterize
his ugly physiognomy, he stands the
picture of pure animal enjoyment, chew
ing away at one end Of the root, while the
other sticks out of his mouth like q cigar.
To catch him in tho middle of this per-
formance is the constant burden of the
hunters prayers.
Should the night promise to be still,
warm and dark, the hunter scourS the re-
Hector Of his jack until it shines like sill
yer, and breathes upon and wipes its glass
lens until it is speckless The lamp within
should emit a powerful light, but the cas-
Ing must be so constructed that not the
faintest glimmer can escape until its aid
is required, and a hinged cover, which
caps the glass, is dropped.
In this, as in most other forms Of moose
hunting, two form the company--one to
do the work while the other takes in the
fun-and, as in many other things in this
life, ultimate success depends more ON
the skill of the former than on that of the
latter.
After the jack has been Lit some twenty
minutes, SO that the maximum of light
possible without smoke is assured, the
pair betake themselves TO the canoe.
Blankets are spread on the bottom OF the
boat to deaden any motion of the feet.
He who is to shoot seats himself in the
bow, while his companion first wraps him
in blankets and then arranges the jack.
This is best suspended from a frame be-
hind the rifleman; but it should be SO
connected with his head that the beam Of
light will follow its every motion when
the jack is open. With the glass uncov-
cred, the rifle is thrown to the shoulder,
and the connection of the jack with the
headgear is SO adjusted that when the
most convenient aim is taken it win be
directly in the center of illumination.
Thus both sights of the rifle are perfectly
shoot with accuracy, but only to obtain
sufficiently distinct view of the object to
be hit.
When this is complete the other takes
his place in the stern, folds his blanket
over his lap, and, grasping his paddle,
pushes from the bank. The jack is then
closed, and complete darkness and silence
follow
AS noiseless as the shadow Of q cloud,
the canoe steals along, and hour after
hour its occupants relying solely on the
sense of hearing, strain every nerve to de-
tect an indication of the near neighbor-
hood Of the game they seek.
AT last comes q slow and measured sound
-slosh, slosh, slosh; and then all is still
again. The heart of the hunter shrivels
within him to the size Of q lemon, and
flies into his throat, where it keeps up
such humping that it seems impossible
that the noise should escape the quick ear
of the game. With the utmost caution
the rifle is brought to the full cock, and
the left hand freed, ready to open the jack
at the preconcerted signal which it is the
duty of the paddler to give.
Every ache and pain is at once forgotten
in the all absorbing question, VIII he re-
main in the water or take to the bank,
and, burying himself in the woods, escape?
For he is still far beyond the range of the
jack, and not till it will surely show him
up must it be opened. Ii the motion Of
the canoe was slow before, it seems doubly
so now, and minute after minute, each ap-
parently an hour, drags on, and still the
noise, repeated at intervals, seems no
nearer.
At length, after a seemingly endless de-
lay, comes the signal to open the jack,
and the light streams forth. There he
stands, mid leg deep in the water, dim,
shadowy and monstrous, his eyes glaring
green in the light, with the malevolence of
demon. he will stay but for a second,
and only to decide which way TO retreat.
Raise the rifle slowly, but lose 40 time.
Draw as careful q bead as though shoot
ing at twO-inch bulls ete, and give it to
him right Throughout behind-the mid
die of the fore shoulder. For n second the |
smoke obscureS the result. Is he down or
up? IN either case, dose him again if you
can; but if you cannot, close the jack at
once Now is no time TO ask your COM
panion: Do you think l hit him? If you
were silent before, be doubly so now, and |
listen. Does he burst into and tear
through the woods as though he had gone
lllO tlic WIN OooAhSoo SAAA "eio l
LAYING in o winters stock, and do you
hear him crashing and smashing until the |
sound dies away on the distant mountain |
side? 1t was clear miss, or at best
Craze. But no; the uproar dies away and |
q silence you can almost feel ensues. |
What sound is that from the neighboring |
woods? There he isl You can hear him |
breathe and wheeze at every inspiration. |
II iS we'll The shot WAS q little too far |
back, but it was pretty well placed all the |
same Now withdraw with the stiffness |
of death itself, and not until at least |
half mile intervenes whisper to your |
companion: well, 1 guess that's our |
meat; what do you think?'
For if from any act of yours he discov
ers what has hurt him, particularly If you |
attempt to land, he win either attack at |
once, in which case you viii be in desperate
peril, or he will travel till he drops, perhaps |
miles and miles away, and the foxes and
other marauders of the forest alone viii |
profit by his death Whereas if you leave |
him to attribute his distress to stroke OF
lightning or fit of indigestion, or 10 any /
cause other than the agency of man, you
will find him in the morning, il not lying |
dead, where you last heard him, at all |
events SO enfeebled that you may still |
hunt him with the certainty OF success. -
Henry P Wells In Harper's Magazine